Local leaders sell Knoxville to Amazon: #ChooseKnox

Seattle-based Amazon is looking for another city to build its second headquarters and has plans to invest $5 billion and create 50,000 jobs. Jane Lee reports.
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Jim Barnhart took this photograph from Sharps Ridge when the trees were turning green in April 2017. It shows downtown Knoxville among the hills and mountains of East Tennessee.(Photo: Submitted by Jim Barnhart)

Amazon’s announcement that it would be looking for a second location took the country by storm in September. The $5 billion project is expected to bring 50,000 jobs. The company expects to announce a decision on "HQ2" in 2018.

Cities all over the country are vying for the business.

Selling Knoxville to Amazon

In anticipation of the deadline and to get as much attention as possible, the Knoxville Chamber began a #ChooseKnox campaign this week on social media which has encouraged citizens and businesses to sell the great points of the city.

Knoxville Chamber’s vice president of economic development, Doug Lawyer, said it is extremely rare for companies to announce intentions publicly.

“We jumped at the opportunity (to apply) and the thinking was we know the Amazon folks will look at this proposal, and we want to use it to get them to understand what Knoxville is about,” he said.

Amazon has said it wanted an urban or suburban area with "more than 1 million people, shovel-ready real estate, quality of life and a "stable and business-friendly environment."

An unlikely choice isn't stopping Knoxville

Knoxville’s metro doesn’t quite reach 1 million and the city likely wouldn’t be the company’s top choice, but that didn’t stop the Chamber, Lawyer said.

“Maybe there’s a ripple effect or smaller divisions that they might consider (moving) to Knoxville … let’s roll up our sleeves and get creative and throw it up against the wall and see if it sticks,” he said.

Todd Napier, president and CEO of the Development Corporation of Knox County, said the application was a way for Knoxville to be seen by a global company, even if the city isn’t picked. He called the project a “game changer.”

“What if there’s a secondary component that (Amazon) is trying to figure out and put out there?” he asked. “This is a great chance to put information in front of Amazon. Maybe not for HQ2 or but (maybe for) some regional center or something.”

Midway Business Park an option

Napier said the application included the county’s best piece of property, Midway Business Park, a site that would allow the company to build a campus-like environment.

“Is it a long shot? Probably. It is for everybody, really,” Napier said. “But why not take it when given the opportunity to put your name out there?”

The application highlighted the research and technology corridors present with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee along with being close to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The application also included a number of accolades for the city: No. 2 in America’s Most Affordable Cities by Forbes, Top 100 Places to Live by Livability and Top 40 Best Metro for STEM Professionals by WalletHub.